Matt Figi's 7-year-old daughter Charlotte was once severely ill. But a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which was named after the girl early in her treatment, has significantly reduced her seizures. On July 28, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a three-page bill that would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- the federal law that criminalizes marijuana -- to exempt plants like Charlotte's Web that have an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high.

While politicians and supporters look on, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs a ceremonial bill to establish a medical marijuana program in New York, on July 7, 2014. New York is the 23rd U.S. state to authorize medical marijuana.

In April, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana
possession. Research published by the Pew Research Center in
February showed 54% of Americans support legalization of marijuana.

Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, becomes the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado on January 1. Colorado was the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. "It's huge," Azzariti said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet."

Members of a crowd numbering tens of thousands smoke and listen to live music at the Denver 420 Rally on April 20. Annual festivals celebrating marijuana are held around the world on April 20, a counterculture holiday.

A man smokes a joint during the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana social club in Denver, on New Year's Eve 2012. Voters in Colorado and Washington state passed referendums to legalize recreational marijuana on November 6, 2012.

People light up near the Space Needle in Seattle after the law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana went into effect in Washington on December 6, 2012.

Nutrient products are placed on shelves in the weGrow marijuana cultivation supply store during its grand opening on March 30, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The store is a one-stop-shop for supplies and training to grow plants indoors, except for the actual marijuana plants or seeds. Legislation was enacted in 2010 authorizing the establishment of regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation's capital.

Marijuana activist Steve DeAngelo wears a "Yes on Prop 19" button as he speaks during a news conference in Oakland, California, on October 12, 2010, to bring attention to the state measure to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in California. Voters rejected the proposal.

Sonja Gibbins walks through her growing warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado, on April 19, 2010. Since the state approved medical marijuana in 2000, Colorado has seen a boom in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses. So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have made smoking marijuana for medical purposes legal.

A patient prepares to smoke at home in Portland, Maine, on October 22, 2009, a decade after the state approved a medical marijuana referendum.

Coffeeshop Blue Sky worker Jon Sarro, left, shows a customer different strains of medical marijuana on July 22, 2009, in Oakland, California. Voters in the city approved a measure during a vote-by-mail special election for a new tax on sales of medicinal marijuana at cannabis dispensaries.

Medicinal marijuana patient Angel Raich wipes her eyes during a press conference on March 14, 2007, in Oakland, California. The 9th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that 41-year-old Raich, who used medicinal marijuana to curb pain from a brain tumor as well as other ailments, did not have the legal right to claim medical necessity to avoid the possibility of prosecution under federal drug laws.

Different varieties of medical marijuana are seen at the Alternative Herbal Health Services cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on April 24, 2006. The Food and Drug Administration issued a controversial statement a week earlier rejecting the use of medical marijuana, declaring that there is no scientific evidence supporting use of the drug for medical treatment.

People in New York gather for a pro-cannabis rally on May 4, 2002. That same day, almost 200 similar events took place around the world to advocate for marijuana legalization. It was dubbed the "Million Marijuana March."

Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California.

A television ad aired in 1996 by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's campaign included footage from a 1992 MTV interview of a laughing President Clinton saying he would inhale marijuana if given the chance to relive his college days.

President George H. Bush holds up a copy of the National Drug Control Strategy during a meeting in the Oval Office on September 5, 1989. In a televised address to the nation, Bush asked Americans to join the war on drugs.

Robert Randall smokes marijuana that was prescribed to treat his glaucoma in 1988. He became the first legal medical marijuana patient in modern America after winning a landmark case in 1976.

First lady Nancy Reagan participates in a drug education class at Island Park Elementary School on Mercer Island, Washington, on February 14, 1984. She later recalled, "A little girl raised her hand and said, 'Mrs. Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born." She became known for her involvement in the "Just Say No" campaign.

President Jimmy Carter, with his special assistant for health issues, Dr. Peter Bourne, beside him, talks to reporters at the White House about his drug abuse control message to Congress on August 2, 1977. Among other things, he called for the elimination of all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

Protesters wade in the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington during the "Honor America Day Smoke-In" thrown by marijuana activists in response to the official "Honor America Day" rally organized by President Nixon supporters at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970.

Marijuana reform was the Life magazine cover story in October 1969. The banner read: "At least 12 million Americans have now tried it. Are penalties too severe? Should it be legalized?"

Police dogs trained to smell out hidden marijuana examine U.S. soldiers' luggage at the airport during the Vietnam War in 1969. Drug use was widespread during the war.

People share a joint during a 1969 concert in Portland, Oregon. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis.

Marijuana use became more widespread in the 1960s, reflecting the rising counterculture movement.

Research scientist Dr. Reese T. Jones, right, adjusts the electrodes monitoring a volunteer's brain response to sound during an experiment in 1969 that used a controlled dosage of marijuana. The tests were conducted at the Langley Porter Institute at the University of California, San Francisco.

U.S. Customs agents track the nationwide marijuana market during Operation Intercept, an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon in 1969. The initiative intended to keep Mexican marijuana from entering the United States.

Members of the Grateful Dead talk with reporters from their home in San Francisco on October 5, 1967. The band was protesting being arrested for marijuana possession.

A woman buys ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes from a dealer at her door circa 1955.

Even after Congress cracked down on marijuana in 1937, farmers were encouraged to grow the crop for rope, sails and parachutes during World War II. The "Hemp for Victory" film was released in 1942 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Marijuana cigarettes are hidden in a book circa 1940. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, effectively criminalizing the drug.

A poster advertises the 1936 scare film "Reefer Madness," which described marijuana as a "violent narcotic" that first renders "sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter" on its users before "dangerous hallucinations" and then "acts of shocking violence ... ending often in incurable insanity."

Harry Anslinger was named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics when it was established in 1930. While arguing for marijuana prohibition, he played on Americans' fear of crime and foreigners. He spun tales of people driven to insanity or murder after ingesting the drug and spoke of the 2 to 3 tons of grass being produced in Mexico. "This, the Mexicans make into cigarettes, which they sell at two for 25 cents, mostly to white high school students," Anslinger told Congress.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Leonard Frieling says pot is legal in two states and the sky hasn't fallen

Of Colorado, he says: sales tax revenues will bring millions, and crime is down

Lack of bank service causes problematic cash economy, he says

Government, civilians and industry are cooperating for experiment to work

Editor's note: Leonard Frieling serves as a Colorado NORML Board Member Emeritus, is a former judge, and lectures frequently on marijuana issues. He is also as peaker for LEAP.cc (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), and a criminal defense attorney.

(CNN) -- I am sorry to report that Colorado has shut down all government and civilian activities under a haze of pot smoke. Trains will not run. Store shelves are bare. Citizens are rioting in a pot-induced trance. Tourists are avoiding the Sodom and Gomorrah called Colorado. Keep your children indoors and your money in the mattress!

Yes, many skeptics predicted terrible consequences, but six months after legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, the sky still hasn't fallen.

Leonard Frieling

We understand that Colorado and Washington are under intense scrutiny because of their forward-thinking legalization of marijuana. Being first presents challenges and opportunities. But there is much to learn from Colorado's experiment, lessons in what works and what doesn't.

Identifying the single biggest problem facing the state, counties, cities, and cannabusinesses in Colorado is easy: It's the banking situation. Because pot remains illegal under federal law, legal financial institutions won't work with marijuana businesses, and they are forced to operate on a 100% cash basis.

No one wins when consumers must pay cash only; and businesses must pay taxes, employees, rent, electric bills, and every other normal business expense in cash. Quarterly withholding is paid only in cash, only by appointment, only in Denver, and only with a 10% cash payment penalty added by the federal government. The federal government must provide more than lip service to this issue, and sooner is better.

Legal marijuana has benefits on many social fronts. Drug laws have for too long put young people in prison, often ruining their lives; this is especially true for people of color. Renting an apartment can become a personal nightmare because of a marijuana conviction. A mortgage can become impossible.

Law and regulation means greater safety for consumers. Large numbers of people consume pot in every state -- a Pew Research Center survey in April found that 47% of Americans say they have tried marijuana.

Seattle celebrates pot legalization

Six months into Colorado weed experiment

Pot lovers flock to Denver 420 festival

In Colorado and Washington, they can expect some protection from adulterants, mold, and other impurities, while knowing the potency of their intended purchases. The states can expect substantial tax revenues, increased employment, and a reduction in jail overcrowding. Private prisons will become less necessary.

But the garden is not entirely roses. Colorado has struggled with problems linked to marijuana edibles. People who have eaten or ingested too much of a marijuana-laced treat have become nauseous and extremely anxious; half of the 79 calls to medical facilities concerning marijuana in the first four months of legalization regarded edibles.

More education is necessary. The state is pursuing labeling, packaging, and potency regulations as part of the solution.

Parents should protect children from marijuana as they would from alcohol or aspirin. Consumers should expect consistent dosages and known ingredients. The state and the other stakeholders must continue to work toward solutions as areas of concern become apparent.

Another benefit: Being able to grow hemp as a fiber, overlooked by the country in 1937 and easily forgotten, is a tremendous positive result of legalization. Hemp helped win World War II and plays a significant role in a laundry list of applications. Colorado, as a large farm state, stands to win. The U.S. benefits. The inexcusable practice of buying processed hemp from other countries is eliminated.

The industry has willingly complied with wall-to-wall video surveillance, labeling, child-proof packaging, dose control, and hundreds of pages of detailed laws and regulations. This is government-civilian cooperation at its best.

The mutual desire to find intelligent solutions permits industry-government cooperation at levels simply impossible in the past. Colorado is not finished -- and every success will be reported on Page 12. Every problem will be "Page one, above the fold."

As a world role model, Colorado can lead the way on how to do this right. The United States was properly referred to as the "Great Experiment": Colorado is part of that. This is our democracy at work in a vibrant, organic way.

Peace has been declared in a particular corner of the war on drugs. Mr. President, in Colorado, we respect your right to say "No, thank you," as you did when someone offered you a hit on your recent visit to Denver. However, if you change your mind, our invitation to visit and to have a toke is still open.